Moistening device



7,- W..H. WHEELER, JR; ET AL 2,141,

MOISTENING DEVICE Original Filed 001;. 29, 19:55

A rroe NE Patented Dec. 27', 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MOISTENINGDEVICE Walter H. Wheeler, Jr., Stamford, Jacob W. Ogden, Springdale, andFrancis J. Rouan, Stamford, Conn, assignors to Pitney-Bowes PostageMeter 00., Stamford, Conn., a corporation of Delaware Originalapplication October 29, 1935, Serial No.

Divided and this application November 24, 1936, Serial N0. 112,466

Claims.

predetermined length. After the cutting operation is completed, thestamp is manually withdrawn, and while withdrawing same, it is adaptedto be drawn across a moistening member to mois-.

ten same or may be withdrawn in its nonmoistened state.

In general, the moistening of a stamp is not new, but by means of aselectively controlled deflector member, as provided by the structure ofthis invention, a new and novel feature is presented wherein theindividual stamps are adapted 1 to be received in a moistened or anon-moistened state-in accordance with the selection made.

It is the principal object of this invention therefore to provide aselective control means for use with a gummed tape moistening devicewhich so will permit the taking of a previously cut portion thereof ineither a moistened or a non-moistened s a. e.

It is a further object to provide a manually controlleddeflector memberwhich is positioned in 35 the path of travel of the tape and which isadapted to be manually moved to one of two positions to deflect thestamp over a moistening surface or over the top of a non-moisteningsurface.

With the above and other objects in view, which 40 will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that various changesin theprecise embodi- 45 ment of the invention herein disclosed may be madewithin the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit ofthe invention.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawing. where- Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of themoisten- .ing device including a portion of the discharge end of a.metered mailing machine, adjacent the printing structure;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1 with part in sec- (Ol. ill-14.5)

tion and taken substantially along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the moistening device looking atthe side opposite to that of Fig. 1; i

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic part sectional and part elevational viewshowing the pathof travel of the tape over an impression roller, througha cutting knife and past a deflecting member, with said deflectingmember so positioned as to direct the tape through a moisteningposition; and Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig. 4, andshowing the tape deflected through a nonmoistening position.

bracket structure is shown at I I which is adapted to support animpression roller l2, a letter guide plate 13 and a tape cutting memberll.

Above the impression bracket is a printing drum structure, a portion ofwhich is indicated at l5, which is adapted to be rotated once for eachcycle of machine operation to print an impression of a stamp indicia ontape T as'the tape is moved through a printing operation and isforwarded to a moistening position by means of the printing drumstructure and the impression roller. While only the back plate portionof the printing drum support is illustrated in Fig. 1, the completeillustration and description of this structure may be found in the abovenamed parent application.

The moistening device comprises a tank 16 which is supported upon abracket 11, fixed to a portion of the impression bracket II, and ispositioned adjacent the cutting member ll. A moistening brush 18 has itslower end submerged in water within the tank l6 and is supported thereinby meansof a bracket 19 secured within said tank. The upper end of thebrush 18 projects above the top of the moistener tank in the path of thegummed surface of the tape.

A cap or closure 2|, closes the open upper mouth of the tank up to thepoint where the brush projects from the tank and is shaped to provide aguide for directing the tape over the brush portion when the tape is tobe moistened. By means of a thumb screw 22 said tank It may be easilyattached to or detached from the bracket I1 Within downwardly extendingwings 23'-23 of a bracket 24, which is secured to the underside of theletter guide plate l3, one end of a guard plate 25 is pivotally mounted.The free end of said plate extends over the projecting portion of thebrush 18, to normally cover same. Y

Also pivotally mounted between the wings 23-23, is a deflector member26, there being a Referring to Fig. 1, part of an impression shaft 21therethrough which is supported by said wings. on a forwardly extendedend of said shaft, there is also provided a selector knob 28. On theupper surface of the selector knob 28, two initials are printed, oneinitial indicated as W, which designates the term wet for moistenedstamps, and the other initial indicated as D, which designates the termdry or unmoistened stamps. Through an opening 28 in the letter guideplate I3, either one or the other of said initials W or D may be seen inaccordance with the position of the selector knob.

Upon rotation of said selector knob 28 to the right or to the left, fromthe position of Fig. 1, the shaft 27 will be rocked and the deflectorblade 28 will be tipped above or below the normal path of travel of thetape to thereby direct the tape along the upper surface of the plate 25or along the lower surface thereof.

Referring to Figs. 4 and 5 it will be noted that as the tape leaves thecuting knife position of Fig. 4, the deflector being in a raisedposition will direct the tape along the under surface of the plate 25 topermit the lower or gummed surface of the tape to engage the moisteningbrush l8 and thus become moistened. With the deflector in a loweredposition as in Fig. 5, the tape will be directed through a path abovethe surface of the plate 25 and thereby cause the gummed surface of thetape to engage the dry surface of said plate and be left unmoistened.

It is to be understood that the tape will be fed, after a printingoperation has been completed, to the position shown in Figs. 4 and 5before a cutting operation becomes effective. After a cutting operationis effected, the end of the tape is grasped by an operator and drawnacross the surface of the moistening brush in the position of Fig. 4 oris lifted from the upper surface of the plate 25, Fig. 5, as the cutstamp is withdrawn from the machine.

The cutting member indicated is preferably a I screw type of cutter,such as illustrated and described in Patent 1,849,443, there being astationary member 3| and a rotary screw portion 32, which screw iscontrolled through connections indicated at 33, Fig. 3, which are timedto be operated with the operation of the printing mem'- her to cause thescrew portion 32 to be rocked through a cutting operation. The tape isfed through a slot 33 between the member 3| and screw 32 and after thedesired length has passed through, the rotary screw 32 is rocked by theaction of the levers 33 in a manner described in the aforesaid parentapplication Sr. No. 47,330, to thereby sever the printed portion of thetape and thus provide an individual stamp. I

The operation of this device comprises, first the selection of wet ordry stamps by means of the selector knob 28. Assuming that it is desiredto place the stamps upon packages of parcels post wherein the packagesrepresent a variety of different sizes and weights, it will be desirableto have each stamp moistened for placement on the packages as the stampsare received from the machine. The selector knob 28 is thus rotatedpartially to bring the initial W into view beneath the opening 23 in theletter guide plate I3, which will move the deflector blade 24 to theposition shown in Fig. 4 above the path of the tape.

During each operating cycle of the machine, the tape will first beprinted and will be simultaneously fed through the cutter E4 to aposition wherein the leading end will project slightly beyond the brushas in Fig. 4. While in this position, the rotary cutter 32 is rocked tosever the printed portion of the tape, which thus frees the stamp forremoval. The operator now takes hold of the projecting end of the stampand withdraws it from the moistener. The weight of the hinged plate 25will bear upon the upper surface of the stamp to cause the gummedportion of the stamp to bear against the moistening brush with.sufficient pressure to cause said gummed portion to be moistened.

When it is desired to take non-moistened stamps, the selector knob 28 ismoved to the potape to the moistenlng member, and a selectivelycontrolled deflector positioned apart from the moistening member andarranged to engage either the upper or the lower surface of the tape todirect the travel of said tape, whereby the tape is adapted to have itsgummed surface moistened or remain unmoistened in accordance with theposition of the deflector.

2. In a tape device of the class described, tape feeding means, tapemoistening means having a moistening and a non-moistening surface andnormally arranged in a fixed position, and a selectively controlleddeflector movable with relation to the moistening means and adapted toengage either the upper or the lower surface of the tape, whereby thetape is directed over either the moistening or non-moistening surface.

' 3. The combination with a gummed tape device, of a tape moistener,unit, and a selectively controlled deflecting member positioned in thepath of the leading end of the tape and adapted to be moved so as to beengaged by either of the two surfaces of the tape, whereby the tape maybe directed through a moistening position or a non-moistening positionas desired.

4. The combination with a gummed tape device having tape forwardingmeans and tape moistening means; of a tape deflector positioned in thepath of the leading end of the tape, and manipulative means to move thedeflector so that it may be engaged by either the gummed or non-gummedsurface of the tape, whereby the tape may be deflected to a moisteningor a nonmoistening position with relation to-the moistening means.

5. The combination with a gummed tape device having tape forwardingmeans and tape moistening means; of a guard member over the tapemoistening means, a tape deflector positioned in the path of the leadingend of the tape, and manipulative means to move the deflector, wherebythe tape is adapted to be directed above or below the guard member toproduce a nonmoistened or a moistened stamp respectively.

6. In a gummed tape dispensing device having tape forwarding means andtape moistening means; a hinged plate having its free end covering themoistening surface of the moistening means, a tape deflector positionedin the path of the tape, and manipulative means to move the 'deflector,whereby the tape may be directed to pass beneath the plate to amoistening position or may be directed above the plate to anonmoistening position.

said brush, a tape deflector blade positioned in the path of the leadingend of the tape, manipulative means to move the deflector blade above orbelow the tape whereby the tape may be deflected below the yieldableplate to a moistening position or above the yieldable plate to .anon-moistening position respectively.

8. In a device of the character described including a tape supply and atape cutting device; a tape moistening member arranged to receive thetape after it passes through the cutting device,

and a manually controlled deflector member positioned adjacent thecutting device'and in the pathof the tape, whereby the leading end oftape may be deflected to a moistening or non-moistening position afterpassing through the cutting device.

.9. The combination with a gummed tape device, of a tape moistener unit,a deflector blade positioned in the path of the leading end of the tape,a yieldable plate positioned over the moistener unit, a knob connectedwith said deflector blade to rock the deflector above or below the pathof the leading end of the tape and thereby direct the tape above orbelow the yieldable plate to a non-moistening position or a moisteningposition respectively, and indicating means associated with said knobwhereby the relative position of the deflector blade may be readilydetermined.

10. The combination with a gummed tape device, of a tape moistener unitincluding a removable water tank having a brush projecting therefrom,supporting means positioned above said tank, a deflecting member carriedby said supporting means and arranged in the path of the leading edge ofthe tape, a plate having one end hinged to the supporting means and its,opposite end concealing themoistener brush, and a manually operabl'emember connected with said deflector to rock same above or below thepath of the leading end of the tape and thereby direct the tape above orbelow the hinged plate to a gum moistening or non-moistening position.

WALTER H. WHEELER, JR. JACOB W. OGDEN. FRANCIS J. ROUAN.

